Limits of the Flesh
by tattooedsappho
Summary: Alice had heard every scream her husband issued forth, and Bellatrix had in mind to make Alice scream even louder." My vision of what the Longbottoms went through that fateful night.


**Beta:** dacian_goddess (lj or ij, not sure if she has an account here)  
**Warnings:** torture  
**Disclaimer:** All characters are copyright their respective owners; I'm not making any money or intending to harm/offend anyone.  
**Notes:** written for _lightpoint_ as part of the hpsummergen exchange over on lj.

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Taking a draw from a cigarette held between long fingers, the hooded figure exhaled slowly and blew a trail of smoke into the cold autumn night. The sky overhead was heavy with clouds and a thin mist swirled over the countryside, pushed by the faintest of breezes. Bellatrix swept the hood from her face and looked up at the sky for a brief moment before scowling to herself, dropping her cigarette to the ground and grinding it into the cobblestone pathway. As she turned to move back into the darkened house behind her, she was halted by the presence of another.

"You shouldn't show your face outside," the masked figure drawled.

"It is dark enough." She looked at the fair-haired man coldly, daring him to challenge her. "You have no right being here, Lucius; the Dark Lord gave them to us. Before he went after that damned Potter brat, he bestowed the honour of destroying this family upon _my_ team, not yours. I will see my Master's wishes fulfilled and he will glorify me upon his return. Go, go and grovel before the minsitry and buy your freedom with your precious gold. We will see whom his wrath falls upon when he returns to us in all his dark glory." Bellatrix brushed past Lucius, knocking him off balance with her shoulder, and walked into the house, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Pulling her wand, she murmured numerous spells almost too quietly to hear and smirked to herself when the building around her glowed a deep blood red. _'I'd like to see the insolent bastard force his way through these wards. Smooth talk and greased palms, such things are no match for true loyalty. I cannot wait until my Lord returns and puts him in his place.'_

"Where are they?" She snapped, turning to acknowledge the other occupant of the room for the first time.

"Downstairs love, waiting for you,." Rodolphus replied with a smile as he stood and opened the door leading down to the root cellar. "Rabastan and Barty did good work with their spells. They can't see each other, can't touch each other; but oh...will they ever be able to hear each other scream." His eyes grew wide and he smiled as imaginary screams danced through his head.

Bellatrix smiled at her husband and caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. Sneering quickly, she swiped her nails across his pale flesh, leaving four red gashes.

"Never, _never_, call me 'love' while we're conducting our master's business." She leaned close, licking the blood from his cheek before biting the side of his neck. "Understand?"

"Y – yes Bellatrix." Rodolphus studdered. "Shall we go down then? Everyone is waiting for you."

"How kind." Bellatrix smiled as she descended the old wooden stairs to the musty root cellar.

Frank and Alice Longbottom were sitting resignedly on stools. The space around them was obstructed by a dark shimmering wall, effectively containing and separating the two kidnapped Aurors. Rabastan and Barty were leaning against the stone cellar wall, smugly observing the actions of their two captives. Looking up, the stood straight and schooled their faces into masks of indifference as Bellatrix approached.

"I hope you like our little setup," Rabastan said as he nodded a greeting to his sister-in-law.

"Yes, we think it will prove quite entertaining for you. They can't hear anything right now because of the Imperturbable Charm. But it is keyed to the number of occupants in the containment area, once there are at least two people present it is void." Barty spoke excitedly, forgetting whom he was addressing.

"I see. And so you think such a simple accomplishment is something to be unduly proud of then, dear Barty?" Bellatrix asked softly while the Lestrange brothers backed away from her slowly.

Licking his lips nervously, Barty glanced sideways and began to speak.

"No, no. Not what I meant at all. I just wanted to be sure that you were properly informed of the setup we decided to go with. To make sure you approved."

"Ah, seeking approval. Good. It wouldn't do for you to think your judgement is closer to our Master's than mine is. And this **will** be done in a way worthy of his name being mentioned before these blood traitors. Rodolphus, Rabastan, start in on little Alice. Let's make sure Frank knows exactly what is happening to his sweet, innocent, pure little wife." She flashed a dangerous smile at the brothers and turned to face Barty again. "As for you, my little braggart, I think you will sit this round out. You should be grateful your work is as good as it is, otherwise your punishment would be much more severe." She pressed on Barty's shoulder with a single finger and he slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

Bellatrix stepped into the area in which Alice Longbottom was contained. Rodolphus and Rabastan had stripped her from the waist up and suspended her from the ceiling by her arms. They were taking turns casting _'Visverbero'_ and laughing as bloody whip marks appeared on both sides of her bare torso. Alice had yet to scream, but her painful whimpers were increasing in volume with each flick of a Death Eater's wand.

"Just tell us what we want to know, dear Alice, and we shall spare you. You and your husband. Wouldn't it be a shame to leave poor little – Neville, is it? – all alone in such a cruel, cruel world? Share your knowledge with us and we will show mercy, this one time." Bellatrix laced her voice with as much sweetness as she could muster as she paced around the suspended Auror.

Alice closed her eyes, steeled her jaw and hung her head; refusing to talk.

"Fine. Boys, have at it for a few more moments. Enjoy yourselves, I'm going to break this witch myself." She glanced once more at the bloody woman, her tongue wetting her lower lip in a moment of weakness before the mask she wore to the world slipped back on and she was once again the 'most insanely loyal of all Death Eaters.'

Bellatrix returned to where Barty was sitting and pulled him up by the front of his robes. Tilting her head to the side, she smirked and addressed the younger Death Eater.

"You will make sure the screams echo, you will make this house fill with her cries of agony, only to be outdone by his. I will enjoy myself with her, she is mine alone. You will have your chance with Frank, but he shall not be...disposed of...until after he listens to the sweet sounds of agony I shall make spew forth from her painted lips. Do you understand me, Barty?"

"Perferctly, dear Bellatrix." Barty licked his lips and nodded his head, eager to please his superior and quite looking forward to taking his turn with Frank.

Rodolphus and Rabastan exited Alice's enclosure at that point and grinned evilly at their fellow Death Eaters.

"She is barely containing her whimpers now. Mere moments with you and she will be singing her pain to the stars above." Rodolphus said, stepping closer to his wife and clasping her hand in his. "I hope I have done you proud." He pulled her hand to his mouth and placed a chaste kiss upon her knuckles.

A low purr emanated from Bellatrix's throat and she smiled at her husband.

"Very proud indeed. Let us pay brave soldier Frank a visit, shall we?"

Frank Longbottom looked up as the four Death Eaters entered his enclosure, he squared his shoulders and stared blankly ahead.

"Now, now, Mr. Longbottom, you can cooperate and spare yourself and your wife all this nonsense... or we could do things the fun way. It's entirely up to you." Bellatrix said with a smirk as she twirled her wand in her fingers.

Frank blinked once and continued to stare at a random spot off in the distance.

"Very well, have it your way." Bellatrix waved her hand and exited the enclosure, leaving the other three Death Eaters to do their worst.

Soon enough, Frank's screams were echoing through the musty cellar. Bellatrix had given them leave to get creative with their torture of Frank. The only constraint she had placed upon the men was that she alone would cast the Cruciatus Curse. She smiled to herself as her ears were serenaded with the pain-laced voice of her captive.

_'He cannot possibly hold out much longer,'_ she thought to herself after almost three hours of forcing herself to not entertain herself with Alice. _'Soon enough we will find out where they are holding my Master, and then our vengeance will be horribly sweet. Starting with these two.'_ She smirked as she entered the magically erected enclosure and took in the scene before her.

Frank's face was covered with bruises and gashes, his robes hung in shreds off his bloody body and there was a crimson pool beneath his suspended body. The blood ran in trails along his body, tracing it's way over muscle and sinew, dripping slowly and silently from his two big toes onto the floor. He let out another scream as the three men cast _'Visverbero'_ at once, targeting three parts of his body at the same time, rending cloth and flesh in a bloody spatter.

"Enough.," Bellatrix said quietly. Her tone was enough to freeze the others in their tracks and they backed away from the Auror quickly. "Frank. Tell us what we want to know. If you do not speak now, you will experience pain as you have never experienced it before. Your screams have been so melodic, I simply cannot not offer you this last reprieve. Such sweet agony. I'll give you one last chance. It would be wise to take it."

Frank inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly and refused to say a single word.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix yelled, directing her wand toward the incapacitated Auror. Frank's body reacted to the curse within moments, making it twitch and writhe on the chains he was suspended from. She held the curse for a good five minutes before Frank's voice broke and all he could do was groan. Another twenty minutes after that and he passed out.

"Ennervate!" Rodolphus hissed, after Bellatrix motioned for him to revive their captive.

"Crucio!" she bellowed again. Although Frank continued to scream for a good five minutes, it took only ten minutes after that for him to pass out.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus continued their cycle well into the night, Rabastan and Barty watching with unhidden glee. Eventually Frank only managed a single scream before the darkness of unconsciousness enveloped him again. Again and again they would revive him, only to send the pain through this body and push him into darkness again. Still, he never spoke when given a chance. The only sounds to leave his lips were those of his tortured screams. As dawn broke, Rodolphus revived him one last time.

"You think you know pain now, but you do not. I will introduce you to an even greater pain. And there is nothing you can do to stop it." Bellatrix sneered at the crumpled heap that continued in his refusal to talk. With a wave of her wand, she conjured a single glass of water and placed it on the opposite side of the room from where Frank had collapsed after being released from his restraints. The four Death Eaters exited the enclosure and left Frank to his own devices.

"Alice is mine. Do not disturb me. Do not enter that enclosure. Do you understand?" Bellatrix emphasised her point by trailing her fingertip across a different man's chin with each sentence. Silent nods greeted her eyes and she smirked to herself as she made her way to Alice's enclosure. Pausing a moment, she closed her eyes and licked her lips. Alice had heard every scream her husband issued forth, and Bellatrix had in mind to make Alice scream even louder.

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'Visverbero' comes from the Latin 'viscus' (flesh) and 'verbero' (whip)

Reviews are always appreciated. :)


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